Cheese on carbs on a summer Friday
Besides zucchini, summer squash is possibly the lightest squash I have ever tasted, but it has a distinct flavor that I thought would go well with a spin on the classic alfredo.
Alfredo sauce, in my opinion, is one of the easiest sauces to prepare. For this sauce, you can pretty much add any cheese you would like. I used what I had – shredded cheddar and mozzarella. It does not get simpler than that.
If you don’t like radicchio because of its bitter taste (which I really don’t blame you for), you can completely leave it out (since I just pretty much used it as a topping) or you can make some sautéed spinach or other leafy green as a side. I really like spinach with the cheesy alfredo. However, caramelizing the radicchio partially masks its bitter taste. Just a warning: the radicchio also turns brown when heated. So if you’re excited about the pretty purple color and want to serve this dish at a dinner party, just note that the color will be lost when caramelized. Just saying! 🙂
Other cuts of pasta that would go really well in this dish are fettuccine (the classic fettuccine alfredo), farfalle (bow ties), cavatappi (corkscrew), or fusilli (one of my favorites!). I prefer short cut pasta for this recipe since the summer squash is cut to about the same size as short cut pasta. However, if you only have longer pasta on hand, don’t worry – that of course will do.
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Summer Squash Mozzarella Penne Alfredo with Caramelized Radicchio
Caramelized Radicchio
- ¼ radicchio, leaves peeled
- ½ tsp light, packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp olive oil
Summer Squash Penne
- 2 medium summer squash, chopped into half moons
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ lb penne ((I used penne rigate.))
Mozzarella Alfredo
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ mozzarella, shredded
- 2 cups white cheddar, shredded
- salt ((to taste))
- ground black pepper ((to taste))
- To prepare radicchio, in a medium-sized pan, at radicchio, brown sugar, and olive oil. Sautée until radicchio is limp and brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add summer squash and 1 tsp of olive oil. Sautée squash until slightly brown. Set aside.
- Boil water, and cook penne according to package directions while you make the alfredo. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- To make alfredo, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add flour, and whisk until well incorporated into the butter. Add milk, mozzarella, cheddar, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until all cheese is melted.
- Pour alfredo over penne and pasta water. Add summer squash, and mix well until all squash and penne are evenly coated in alfredo. Top with caramelized radicchio, and eat!
